THE UTILIZATION OF SATELLITE IMAGES IN URBAN CONSERVATION
PLANNING
M.C.Meshura,*, T.Caya, E.Sertb
a
Selcuk University, Engineering & Architecture Faculty, 42070, Selcuklu, Konya, Turkey - (mcmeshur,
tcay)@selcuk.edu.tr
b
Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Department of Urban Information Systems, Selcuklu, Konya, Turkey emrasert@gmail.com
Commission II , WG II/4
KEY WORDS: Urban Conservation, Urban Pattern, Satellite Image, GIS
ABSTRACT:
The main emphasis of this study is on the using of satellite images in urban conservation planning. In this framework, there is
analysis on historical development of urban conservation concept and Turkey’s experiences in urbanization process with related to
urban conservation. With these analyses, important results were obtained about the conservation practices. Although the
developments experienced in institutional and economic areas, there are some problems for integrating conservation concept to the
city planning process in Turkey. The main reason for that problem is the lack of care about the main issues of historical urban pattern.
In this respect, it is assumed that satellite images in GIS applications can be used for understanding the characteristics of close and
open spaces (typology) and calculations on floor area ratio which are main components of historical urban pattern.
1.
created by the accumulation of various cultural layers and
preserved within the process of history. This identity acquired
from historical elements can be maintained and conserved
through those living in the city maintaining the city and
reaching a collective city consciousness. The participation of
the public in the conservation process as a natural result of city
consciousness forms and improves city identity at the same time.
Therefore, conservation and city identity are concepts that are
directly related to each other.
INTRODUCTION
Urban conservation is a concept to provide a continuity for
urban identity which based on historical past and to preserve the
local values. The interest towards conservation planning has
been evaluated from single building unit to urban pattern in
historical process.
The development of this process in Turkey is attractive in terms
of institutional and economic issues. Despite the important
experiences, there are some difficulties in the process of urban
conservation planning. The problem is derived from
characteristics of historical urban pattern especially. Since the
organic and dense structure and the existence of dead end street
(cul de sac), the spatial analysis on urban pattern can be
evaluated in more difficult. And, the old base map of historical
urban quarter is another problem for conservation process.
As the spatial analysis of existing structure is the most
important phase of urban conservation process, there is need
for some instruments for overcoming this problem. In this frame,
it is assumed that satellite images can be used as an important
instrument for analyzing the spatial characteristics of historical
urban pattern. So, the main goal of the study is to present
utilization of satellite images in conservation planning. The
basic outputs of this utilization process are illustration of open
and closed spaces and calculations on floor based area.
2.
THE EVALUATION OF URBAN CONSERVATION
Since a city is considered to be the total of natural and artificial
elements peculiar to its society, changed and recreated by
relationships between nature and human beings within a
historical process; a city identity dependent on the society or
existence of the city is also a cultural concept. The main
elements of a city’s identity are its cultural life and its history
(Borer, 2006). In this context, a city’s identity is a notion
In the light of these definitions, it is more convenient to
conceive the concept of urban conservation as laying and
sustaining differences, in other words, the maintenance of
identity based on historical past (Cohen, 2001), within the
framework of explanations on the concept of locality and
localization. While the earlier concept of conservation was
perceived as the maintenance of structures having religious,
executive and military importance in single building unit, it has
recently turned into a notion of environmental protection
affecting development of the city as a whole, beyond the
historical and cultural assets. More importantly, within the
framework of the definitions regarding locality, the concept of
conservation is positioned in the new planning agenda as
maintaining the identity based on the historical past as a process
in which identities are seen at local level but interpreted in
regional terms, differentiated places with their own specific
characteristics start gaining more importance than those general
places. And, concepts such as multiculturalism, cultural
attractiveness, sense of location and identity of location come to
the foreground (Lieber and Weisberg, 2002; Beriatos and
Gospodoni, 2004; Antrop, 2005).
3.
THE EFFORTS TOWARDS URBAN
CONSERVATION IN TURKEY
Turkey has extensive developed experience in the conservation
of cultural heritage. The efforts towards conserving and
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adapting a rich heritage formed by a great number of cultures to
modern life conditions covers a fairly long process from the Act
for Ancient Monuments laid down in the period of Ottoman
Empire in 1869 to the Law on Protection of Cultural and
Natural Assets, Act of 5226 laid down in 2004. In this period,
significant developments occurred over legal regulations
established and economic sources.
Figure 4. Amasya (sign in “A” in Figure 1)
(© M.C. Meshur 2006)
Figure 1. Architectural heritage from different cities in Turkey
(© maps.com)
Figure 5. Konya (sign in “K” in Figure 1)
(© M.C. Meshur 2008)
Despite the developments experienced in institutional and
economic areas, the concept of conservation which has evolved
from single building scale to the scale of the conservation of the
historical urban patterns, which the architectural heritage
composes, has not been able to be integrated successfully into
the city planning process. In more concrete terms, conservation
studies carried out in settlements of Turkey in different degrees
and sizes cannot constitute a part of the planning process, is
limited to the efforts towards the conservation of the
architectural heritage within the urban conservation area.
Figure 2. Safranbolu (sign in “S” in Figure 1)
(© www.safranbolukonak.com)
3.1. Urbanization Process of Turkey Last Fifty Years
Related With Conservation Issues
Turkey experienced a period of rapid urbanization from the
beginning of the 1960’s to the end of the 1980’s. During the
mentioned period, central and local governments faced serious
problems regarding rapid population growth. Illegal housing,
the problem of squatters, and the lack of infrastructure in terms
of meeting demands were major problems during this period.
This period, spanning almost 25-30 years, brought forward
some solution proposals towards the problems emerging with
rapid urbanization. The protection of fertile agricultural lands,
the development of zones for preventing squatters of the poor,
Figure 3. Mardin (sign in “M” in Figure 1)
(© www.math.umn.edu)
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and policies intended to provide cheap land and housing were
discussed extensively during this period.
The opportunity of printing the data from satellite images which
are used generally for monitoring in Turkey nowadays, is an
important opportunity in terms of the urban conservation
process.
A slowdown of the population growth since the beginning of
1990’s altered the agenda of urban planning. The most
significant point that should be emphasized about this period is
the urban conservation policy which was neglected, and was of
secondary importance during the rapid urbanization process.
4.1. Case Study Around The Mevlana Kulliye, Konya,
Turkey
Significant results were attained within the framework of the
studies carried out in Mevlana Kulliye (complex of buildings) in
Konya. The study was carried out in this location because it is a
place visited by people from all over the world and has
international importance. The significance of the study being
carried out in this location is also due to it being the core of a
historical city quarter in Konya which used to be the capital city
of the Seljuks. Some fundamental descriptions were made for its
conservation plan using satellite images.
Planning arguments focused considerably on newly developing
areas during this period when the population of cities was
growing rapidly. However, some developments occurring in the
aftermath of this period changed the agenda dramatically. The
first of these is the mentioned slowdown in the population
growth. The other is urbanization without identity. In this sense,
the similarity emerging due to urbanization without identity led
to the importance of historical urban quarter being remembered.
Unlike the newly developing areas, historical urban quarter
reflect the differences belonging to the social and cultural
lifestyles of that society.
The main aim is to utilize satellite images in place of maps
which are outdated and do not have adequate accurate
measurement which are required for historical urban pattern.
Within this framework, conservation plan studies are used to
guide typologies for open and closed area usage regarding urban
pattern and calculation of construction areas to enable the
process to be carried out in a more reliable way.
The interest towards conserving historical urban pattern may be
evaluated as a response to globalization. A global culture
concept is intended to create a homogeneous all societies.
However, this idea which is aimed at clearing away any cultural
and social differences and values of societies, faces strong
resistance particularly from developing countries. Hence, the
growth in the interest of the concept of urban conservation
aimed at the conservation of cultural and social differences of
societies should be assessed within this framework.
This process is mainly composed of two steps. Firstly,
digitization of different layers on the satellite image is the first
step in this utilization process. Roads and dead end streets (cul
de sac), constructed areas and open spaces are the layers. These
layers can be indicated in different colors. Aim of that process is
to illustrate the typology of urban pattern in terms of roads,
open and closed spaces (Figure 6 a,b).
Amendments and economic support tools emerging from the
last 10 years in Turkey, demonstrate the importance attached to
the urban conservation concept. However, underutilization of
technological opportunities in plans for the conservation of
historical urban pattern decreases the reliability of these
operations. The main problem is that the maps which constitute
the basis for conservation plans are not up-to-date and are not
based on accurate measurements, and were prepared during the
1960’s and 1980’s. Moreover, the organic and dense structure
of historical urban pattern makes difficulties for updating the
old maps.
4.
The second step contains the calculations on open and
constructed spaces which mean floor based area. This step is
based on analyzing different layers quantitatively. This is
realized by calculating the total area of construction in any
defined region (Figure 6 a,b). The main goal of these
quantitative analysis is to understand the spatial clues which
have importance in planning decisions for urban conservation
area and its around.
UTILIZATION OF SATELLITE IMAGES IN URBAN
CONSERVATION
The most important case regarding the conservation plans is
correct analysis of the current situation. As conservation plans
aim to designate and protect existing values, unlike the plans of
newly developing areas, defining the current situation is the
most important phase within the preparation process of these
conservation plans.
Analysis on the spatial indicators of historical urban pattern is
the most important aspect for the conservation planning. These
indicators are the characteristic of open and closed spaces and
the floor based area. These can be defined as the components of
the urban typology.
Within the scope of this study, the main point to be emphasized
here is the use of an important technologic opportunity
particularly in the analysis of the spatial values. Satellite images
have been available in municipalities for 10 years especially in
Turkey. They are important tools which may contribute in the
urban conservation process are used for auditing illegal housing
and the prevention of urbanization on fertile agricultural lands.
Figure 6. Satellite image of historical urban pattern near
Mevlana, Konya
(© Konya Metropolitan Municipality 2007)
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Figure 6a Characteristics of open-closed spaces and
floor based area (sign in “a” in Figure 6)
5.
CONCLUSION
Urban conservation process is based on preserving the historical
past and maintaining the cultural differences. In this respect,
the conservation planning should contain not only spatial and
physical aspects but also economic and institutional approaches.
So, there are important variances in planning between
conservation and new development areas. The most important
one is about existing structure. Unlike the plans of newly
developing areas, spatial analysis of current situation has a vital
importance in urban conservation planning.
Figure 6b. Characteristics of open-closed spaces and
floor based area (sign in “b” in Figure 6)
REFERENCES
Antrop, M., 2005. Why Landscape of the Past are Important for
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Beriatos E., Gospodoni, A., 2004. Glocalising Urban
Landscapes: Athens and 2004 Olympics. Cities, 21(3), pp. 187202.
Preparation of the descriptions for the historical urban patterns
by using the satellite images shows great importance in terms of
a conservation plan. Hence, finding the spatial data and the
spatial clues which provide the necessary information about the
historical pattern are very important for conservation plans. In
other words, the quality of the descriptions and analysis for the
historical urban patterns designate the quality of the plan
decisions.
Borer, M.I., 2006. The Location of Culture: The Urban
Culturalist Perspective. City & Community, 5(2), pp. 173-192.
Cohen, N., 2001. Urban Planning Conservation
Preservation, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp.9.
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